15 Best Things to Do in Lapland (Finland)

The first thing that most people know about Lapland is that it’s the home of Santa Claus, and nothing could make a child’s Christmas more magical than a trip to where that very magic happens. For older people there’s magic of a different kind: The ghostly Northern Lights, the heart-melting beauty of Nordic woodland in autumn, or the endless days during the midnight sun in summer. In the long winters you’ll also be able to dabble in those Arctic activities you’ll know from movies, going ice-fishing, cross-country skiing or on a reindeer ride.

9. Midnight Sun

Of course, the upside to perpetual darkness in winter is the Midnight Sun in summer.

In the northern reaches of Lapland the sun is above the horizon for 70 days.

Further south the sun will dip down but the sky will still be illuminated.

To see the Midnight Sun like a Finn you should escape to a remote cottage and use the extra hours of the day walking, fishing or even teeing off at one of the golf courses that extend their playing hours in summer.

If you’re near a fell, there’s nothing quite like cresting a hill and looking down on vast woodland glowing in the soft sunlight.

11. Reindeer experiences

Reindeer are so central to Lappish life that there are almost as many as humans here!

Any town or resort in Lapland will have a company offering reindeer rides, and of course, as well as being able to see these graceful creatures working in tandem, you’ll see the landscapes that give Lapland its “winter wonderland” tag.

In northern Lapland all of the reindeer are rounded up two times a year to do a headcount.

Reindeer are semi-domesticated and people take a lot of pride in them in Lapland.

This goes especially for the Sámi culture, to whom reindeer husbandry is second nature.